Page 376 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

362.

to maintain a protective watch over American shipping and

foreign trade. But although American trade at Canton had

flourished since 1784, no naval vessel visited China or the

Pacific Ocean until after the War of 1812. During the period

1789-1815 naval patrols in the Indian Ocean never reached as

far as Canton before returning to the United States. Because

of the limited size of the American Navy in its infancy,

furthermore, very few naval vessels could be allotted for

securing the East India trade. As a result the only patrols

despatched beyond the Cape of Good Hope were in response to

threats to American shipping during hostilities with foreign

powers. In 1800 the frigate "Essex" under Capt. Edward Preble

aailed through the Indian Ocean looking for American merchant­

men that might fall prey to French warships in the naval war

with France. Arriving at the island of Java, Capt. Preble

found a group of American vessels preparing to sail westward.

Subsequently the ''Essex" convoyed them to the United States.

Later, as the War with England approached an end in 1814-15,

the Navy despatched a patrol to East India with orders to

protect American vessels and to retaliate against English

shipping. Of the two vessels that left New York, only one

eventually reached the Indian Ocean. The sloop-of-war "Pea­

cock" under Capt. Lewis Warrington rounded Cape of Good Hope

45
but returned after stopping at Java.

45
The "Peacock" had originally left New York with the
U.S.S. "President" under Com. Stephen Decatur. But shortly
thereafter English warships captured the "President." Paullin,
Diplomatic Negotiations of American Naval Officers, pp. 165-66.